Shower bath flow control



Oct. 31, 1950 c. RINEHIMER SHOWER BATH FLOW CONTROL Filed Sept. 7, 1949JEJ INVENTOR. Clarence Pine/2 im lorney Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE SHOWER BATH FLOW CONTROL Clarence Rinehimer,Chicago, Ill.

Application September 7, 1949, Serial No. 114,414

5 Claims.

7 The present invention relates to a shower bath and is concernedprimarily with the control of water which flows to the shower head.

A person taking a shower ordinarily likes to have the water whichemerges from the shower head at a particular temperature before enteringthe stall in which the shower head is located. This temperature isusually in the range of hot or warm water. Moreover, at the completionof the shower, most people like to end off with a cold shower.

With most of the now available shower bath installations, the individualcontrols for the hot and cold water are located either exteriorly of thestall or on the interior thereof. With the controls located exteriorlyof the stall it is necessary for the user to extend his arm into thestall to test the temperature of the water coming from the shower head.This is highly inconvenient and even when this factor is eliminated byoperatively associating a thermometer with the conduit which goes to theshower head and which thermometer is arranged exteriorly of the stall sothat it may be seen by the person operating the controls, it is stillnot practical for the user to end off his shower with a cold shower orvary the temperature of the water during the taking of the shower.

When the controls are located interiorly of the stall considerableinconvenience is experienced by the user in obtaining the desiredtemperature of the water prior to entry into the stall. With theforegoing conditions in mind, the present invention has in view as itsforemost objective the provision of a shower bath installation whichconsists essentially of a stall in which a shower head is located.Individual hot and cold water conduits are provided which merge into asingle conduit that goes to the shower head. A thermometer isoperatively associated with the latter conduit and positioned exteriorlyof the stall where it may be viewed by a user. Each of the hot and coldconduits is provided with a control valve which may be adjusted to varythe amount of water which is delivered to the common conduit. Each ofthese control valves is provided with a pair of operating members. Onemember of each pair is located exteriorly of the stall and the otherinteriorly of the stall.

With. a shower bath designed in accordance with the foregoingarrangement, a person desirous of taking a shower may avail of the hotand cold water controls that are located exteriorly of the stall toachieve a desired temperature in the water coming from the spray head,perature being indicated on the thermometer that is located exteriorlyof the stall. After entry into the stall and during the taking of theshower, the person may vary the temperature of the water coming from thespray head by using the operating members for the control valves thatare located interiorly of the stall. Thus, a maximum of convenience andcomfort in the taking of a shower is provided.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages of the invention suchas arise in connection with carrying out the above noted ideas in apractical embodiment will, in part become apparent, and in part behereinafter stated as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention, therefore, comprises a shower bath installation in whicha shower head is located. Communicating directly with this shower headis a single conduit that is connectedto hot and cold water conduits. Athermometer is operatively associated with the single conduit andlocated exteriorly of the stall. Each of the individual hot and coldwater conduits is provided with a control valve. There is a pair ofoperating members for each control valve with one operating member ofeach pair located exteriorly of the stall and the other interiorlythereof.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, referencemay be had to the following description and accompanying drawingwherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shower bath installation designed inaccordance with the precepts of this invention.

Figure 2 is another perspective with a portion of the stall broken awayand looking at the wall which carries the conduits.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken about on the planerepresented by the line 33 of Figure 2 and showing the conduits inelevation.

Figure 4 is a detail showing mostly in section but partially inelevation of one of the control valves and the operating membersassociated therewith; and V Figure 5 is another detail sectional viewtaken about on the plane represented by the line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts and first more particularly to Figure 1, a showerbath stall is therein illustrated and referred to in its entirely by thereference character S. The stall S comprises a front wall l0, a-rearwall II,

the temand side Walls I2 and I3. The front wall It is formed with anopening at I4 which accommodates a door I5. Obviously, the door I5 maybe opened to provide ingress to or egress from stall S. At this point itis Well to note that the stall S which is depicted in the drawing ispurely illustrative of one stall construction which may be used. So faras the present invention is concerned, the only thing that is necessaryis that the stall have a front wall I!) and an opening such as indicatedat I4 through which a person may pass in entering or leaving the stall.Any one or all of the walls II, I2 and I3 may be a permanent part of abuilding construction in which the stall is located. I

Referring now more particularly to Figure 2, a pair of conduits It andll are shown as located on the inner side of the front Wall I6. One ofthese conduits is the hot water conduit and the other the cold waterconduit. For the purposes of this specification it will be assumed thatthe conduit I6 is the hot water conduit and the conduit I I the coldwater conduit.

7 A T-fitting I8 is connected to the upper end of the hot water conduitby a curved fitting I9 and another curved fitting 2i? connects the upperend of the cold water conduit Il' to the T-fitting I8. From thisT-fitting I8 a single conduit 2| extends to a shower head that isdepicted at 22,

Referring now more particularly to Figure 3, the single conduit 21 isshown a including another T-fitting 23 to which is connected a conduit24 that passes through an opening 25 formed in the wall Ill. The outerfree end of the conduit 24 is connected to a thermometer designated 26.

specification. Thus, the valve V will be described as included in thehot water conduit I6.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 4 and 5, the control valve Vis shown as comprising a cylindrical valve casing 27 divided internallyinto two chambers 28 and 29 by a partition 38. 4

An inlet 3I, which is formed in the lower side and inner end of thecasing 21, gives entrance from the supply source to the chamber 28. Thechamber 29, then, communicates with chamber 28 through ports 32 formedin the partition 39. An outlet 33 from chamber 28 is provided in theupper side and approximately in the middle of the casing 27. A conicalvalve cap 35, which is located in chamber 28 and operatively fixed to arod 35, controls the water supply by moving its end of greatest diameterback and forth against the partition 31 thereby, opening or blocking theports 32. The rod 35 is moved longitudinally in the casing by thread 56formed on one end of the rod 35. The threads 50 are screwed into asleeve 37 which is formed axially between the partition 36 and theend-Wall 38 of the casing 21. At the opposite end of thecasing 27 ascrew cap 38 closes one end of the chamber 28 and has through its centera bearing to support the outer end of rod 35. The casing 2'! is mountedwith the inlet 3I and outlet33 on the inner side of wall I0 and with thecap 33 end of the casing extend- ,edthrough the wall ID to protrude onthe exterior sideof the shower stall. An operating-member (ill 4 3B isfixed to the screw end of rod 35, thus on the inner side of the showerstall, and an operating member 39 is fixed to the opposite end of therod 35, thus on the exterior side of the shower stall S.

Operation While the manner of using the shower bath installation abovedescribed is believed to be obvious from the description of the partsgiven, it may be briefly outlined as follows:

A person desirous of taking a shower first avails of the operatingmembers 39 which are located exteriorly of the stall S to adjust theflow of hot and cold water through the conduits I6 and I! so that themixture of the two which flows through the single conduit 2I to theshower head 22 has a desired temperature which is indicated on thethermometer 26.

When this temperature has been achieved the person enters the stall andtakes the shower in the usual way. If at any time during the taking orthe shower it is desired to vary the temperature of the water comingfrom the spray head 22, the operating members 36 are available for thispurpose. Atthe end of the shower the valve V for-the hot water conduitIt may be completely closed to provide for ending off with a coldshower;

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbeforeset forth, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not tobe limited to the exact constructions, mechanisms, and devicesillustrated and described because various modifications of these detailsmay be provided in putting the invention into practice within thepurview of the appended claims.

'What is claimed is:

1. In a shower bath installation including'a stall with a spray headtherein, a single conduit leading to said spray head, and hot and coldwater conduits in communication with said single conduit, theimprovement consisting of: a thermometer operatively associated withsaid single conduit and arranged exteriorly of said stall, a controlvalve in each of said hot and cold water conduits, and a pair ofoperating members for each of said control valves, one

operating member of each pair being located mounted on the outer face ofsaid wall, a conduit passing through an opening in said wall andoperatively connecting said thermometer to said single conduit, acontrol valve in each of said hot and cold water conduits, and a pair ofoperating members for each of said control valves, one operating memberof each pair being located on the inner side of said wall and the otheroperating member being located on the outer side of said wall.

.duit passing through an opening in said well and operatively connectingsaid thermometer :to said single conduit, .a control valve in each ofsaid hot and cold Water conduits, and a, pair of operating members foreach of said control valves, one operating member of each pair beingpositioned on the inner side of said wall, the other operating member ofeach pair being positioned on the outer side of said wall, and rodsjournalled in each of said valves, each of said rods establishing anoperating connection between each pair of said last-mentioned operatingmembers and one ofsaid valves.

4. In a shower bath installation including a wall and a water conduit onone face thereof, a control valve in said conduit and a pair ofoperating members for said control valve, one

being located on one side of said wall and the 15 a control valve insaid conduit, a air of operating members for said control valve, onebeing located on one side of said Wall and the other on the other sideof said wall, and a rod journalled in said valve and operativelyconnecting each pair of said operating members to said valve.

CLARENCE RINEHIMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 511,008 Blunt Dec. 19, 18931,860,968 Tracy May 31, 1932 2,501,194 Shumaker Mar. 21, 1950

